Panthers’ first-round pick Xavier Legette injured during competitive padded practice
Another practice, another notable player injured for the Carolina Panthers.
The team’s first-round pick, wide receiver Xavier Legette, left the field in the middle of practice Sunday. A league source told The Observer that Legette underwent testing — including an MRI — on his injured foot. The results ruled out a fracture and his status is considered to be day to day.
“Something in his lower leg, I don’t want to get into any details,” Panthers head coach Dave Canales said immediately after practice. “We’re just going to evaluate him this afternoon as a precaution and then we’ll go from there.”
Legette, listed as 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds, got off to a relatively slow start during the first week of camp but began to show signs of his highlight-play ability earlier this week. He also made a nice leaping catch during red-zone 1-on-1 drills before leaving Sunday.
With Legette sidelined, wide receivers Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Ihmir Smith-Marsette saw more targets opposite the likes of Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen during team drills.
Defensive play of the day: Nick Scott prevents big play
During 11-on-11 drills, quarterback Bryce Young uncorked a deep ball down the left sideline for Mingo. The pass, one of Young’s deepest attempts of camp, was essentially a jump ball play for Mingo.
However, backup safety Nick Scott was able to provide secondary coverage over the top and float to the ball. Scott got his arms up to shield Mingo from the ball and force an incompletion near the end zone in the two-minute drill.
It was a strong day for the defense, especially in the passing game. Outside linebackers DJ Johnson, Derrick McLendon and Luiji Vilan all produced would-be sacks in 11-on-11 work, while coverage kept the Panthers’ offense tamed for most of the morning.
Offensive play of the day: Young connects with Ja’Tavion Sanders for a TD
Young and the offense had some success in the workout. During the two-minute drill, Young led a touchdown drive that was capped by some wicked trickery and improvisation at the goal line.
Young used an option play to fake a QB keeper, hesitated behind the line of scrimmage, then tossed a fade ball to fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders in the end zone. Sanders jumped into the air over the coverage of starting safety Jordan Fuller, and he snagged the ball while falling forward for the touchdown.
After practice, Canales praised the play but said that wasn’t how the coaching staff drew it up. Young was known for his off-script playmaking at Alabama, and he has certainly flashed that aspect of his game more this summer than in last year’s camp.
Overall, it was a pretty nice day for the tight end position in general. With Tommy Tremble (hamstring) and Ian Thomas (calf) sidelined, Sanders took advantage of first-team reps with a trio of leaping grabs. Jordan Matthews, a veteran wideout-turned-tight end, made a couple of big grabs over the middle with the depth groups. Feleipe Franks, a quarterback-turned-tight end, made a nice diving catch over the middle in 7-on-7 work as well.
Sanders and Matthews, in particular, have responded well to receiving more reps this week.
Other injury updates: Damien Lewis still sidelined
Tremble, Thomas, left guard Damien Lewis (shoulder), inside linebacker Shaq Thompson (hamstring), safety Sam Franklin (foot) and outside linebacker Cam Gill (undisclosed) all missed practice because of injury.
Outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was given a veteran’s day off.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn and right tackle Taylor Moton were limited in drills and were replaced in 11-on-11 reps.
Running back Jonathon Brooks remained on the active/non-football (NFI) list. Outside linebackers D.J. Wonnum (quad) and Amare Barno (knee) and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (undisclosed) remained on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Quick hits
▪ Following practice, the team waived wide receiver Devin Carter with an injury designation. The team then signed tight end Jacob Hollister — who worked out on Sunday — to add depth to the group. Hollister worked with Canales in Seattle from 2019 to 2020.
▪ Kicker Harrison Mevis went 4 of 5 in field goal attempts on the day. He missed his second attempt wide left but closed out the session by nailing his three furthest shots in the drills.
▪ At one point during two-minute drills, undrafted rookie Jalen Coker caught three short passes from rookie backup QB Jack Plummer. Coker is a physical wide receiver who appears to outmuscle cornerbacks at the catch point when he can’t outrun coverage.
▪ Newly signed cornerback Anthony Brown appears to be getting time to get in football shape before he enters team drills. That’s not an uncommon practice for a player who is beginning with a team midsummer without an offseason program.
▪ Sunday’s practice was quite physical, and several players ended up on the ground following team reps. Linebacker Trevin Wallace, long snapper JJ Jansen and safety Alex Cook all took turns tumbling during the workout.
▪ Remember the name: RB Mike Boone. The veteran running back has been brought up by Canales in multiple news conferences, unsolicited, this summer. Boone, 29, might have an opportunity to make the 53-man roster with Brooks sidelined and Rashaad Penny retired.
▪ Running backs Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear all had some nice gains during team drills. Hubbard, in particular, looked strong with north-to-south carries. Hubbard, once again, spent at least 40 minutes after practice working on the JUGS machine with Tremble.
▪ Blooper of practice: Wide receiver David Moore was working in individual 1-on-1 coverage drills in the red zone and had a deep shot hovered to him. But instead of hauling in the pass, the ball hit him straight in the facemask and made a loud sound before falling incomplete.
▪ The Panthers are moving versatile linemen Cade Mays and Brady Christensen around a lot this summer. Christensen is a safe bet as the team’s unofficial sixth man, while Mays might be the biggest contender to back up Austin Corbett at center.
▪ The Panthers’ next training camp practice will be at 9:30 a.m Monday at the practice facility outside of Bank of America Stadium. The practice is sold out, according to the team.
▪ The Charlotte Observer will host a special night with Panthers legend Mike Rucker on Monday, Aug. 5, at the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten at Ballantyne (15025 Bowl St. in Charlotte). Join Scott Fowler, Mike Kaye, Alex Zietlow and Rucker as they take a look at the past, present and future of the Carolina franchise. Tickets are currently $5 for Charlotte Observer subscribers.
Proceeds from the event will go toward the Best Defense Foundation, a charity founded by former NFL linebacker Donnie Edwards in 2018. OMB Ballantyne also will make a donation to the foundation based on customers rounding up their check totals during the month of August.
▪ Follow The Observer’s Panthers beat reporters, Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) and Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05), and sports columnist Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler), on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the latest news and highlights.
This story was originally published August 4, 2024 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Panthers’ first-round pick Xavier Legette injured during competitive padded practice."
